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We have a small amount of food for being shut in, but not enough.
Today's flooding in Houston has me thinking further on emergency food/water.

What do you all recommend or have for your supplies?

I'd like to order about a month's worth of food for 3 that doesn't require electricity to prepare and eat.

Any suggestions?

For a month's worth just buy canned goods and rotate through them, eating the oldest and buying new stuff to replace it. Get a camp stove to heat it if you have an electric stove in your kitchen. No need to buy anything special.

CleverNickname wrote:For a month's worth just buy canned goods and rotate through them, eating the oldest and buying new stuff to replace it. Get a camp stove to heat it if you have an electric stove in your kitchen. No need to buy anything special.

That's exactly what I do. I keep a bunch of canned goods/crackers/peanut butter/etc. along with several gallons of clean water. All that stays upstairs so it doesn't accidentally get used (also don't have to move it if the bottom floor gets flooded). Our stove is gas and I have a grill, so we could cook with that for a while, but most goods are already cooked.
Also, if you expect bad weather that could amount to loss of electricity/water, fill up your bathtubs with water (hope you clean them regularly).
Also have a bunch of solar panel chargers to keep small electronics charged, as well as rechargeable batteries in all my remotes/flashlights so they can be rotated and charged. Also have adapters in cars to charge usb devices as well.

Could live off my stash for about a month.

Canned food, canned meat, MRE's (I keep 48 MRE but I use 12-18 a year and just rotate them). Chest freezer is lined with one gallon water jugs and keep 6 cases of bottled water in garage and rotate. Canned soups are good. Keep all 4 propane cylinders full. Having a water filter is good once you have attained food storage. I would try to go for 3 month supply. Remember the more people know what you have the less they will prepare for themselves because they will count on you to share.

locke_n_load wrote:

CleverNickname wrote:For a month's worth just buy canned goods and rotate through them, eating the oldest and buying new stuff to replace it. Get a camp stove to heat it if you have an electric stove in your kitchen. No need to buy anything special.

That's exactly what I do. I keep a bunch of canned goods/crackers/peanut butter/etc. along with several gallons of clean water. All that stays upstairs so it doesn't accidentally get used (also don't have to move it if the bottom floor gets flooded). Our stove is gas and I have a grill, so we could cook with that for a while, but most goods are already cooked.
Also, if you expect bad weather that could amount to loss of electricity/water, fill up your bathtubs with water (hope you clean them regularly).
Also have a bunch of solar panel chargers to keep small electronics charged, as well as rechargeable batteries in all my remotes/flashlights so they can be rotated and charged. Also have adapters in cars to charge usb devices as well.

Could live off my stash for about a month.

They make a bladder for the tub, that holds 100 gallons, I have one in case we lose power etc. My family knows that the first one home in a excrement/turbine collision, their job is to start filling it and other containers we keep available. I also keep several cases of water on hand. We keep enough canned goods, dry goods, beans,rice etc.. to last several weeks. and I have two camp stoves that I have adapters for running off of our propane tank for cooking. My wife says she doesn't eat squirrel, but I'll bet they start looking pretty good after we run through our meat supply in the freezer.

We don't have to worry much about flooding, we have never had water come close to our house in 40 years, but the roads are another matter. so we may be stuck for a while if they get washed out.

Water filter - We grabbed one for camping/backpacking but it is good for taking dirty/muddy water and making it drinkable. About the only thing the portable filters don't get is viral contaminates.

Dont forget hot water heater holds water and gutters can be your friends.

Try looking at some some next level freeze dried solutions too. (ex: http://honeyville.com). Bulk freeze dried veggies, eggs, meat, etc. You can put together some custom "mre" style meals that actually taste great, not just "passable".

I had to live off of canned foods for a few weeks many years ago after a hurricane in the Houston area. Blocked roads, no electricity, gas stations were out of gas. I was happy to have the bare essentials and canned foods that we were prepared with, but a little more preparation would've made the experience way nicer...

Jusme wrote:

locke_n_load wrote:

CleverNickname wrote:For a month's worth just buy canned goods and rotate through them, eating the oldest and buying new stuff to replace it. Get a camp stove to heat it if you have an electric stove in your kitchen. No need to buy anything special.

That's exactly what I do. I keep a bunch of canned goods/crackers/peanut butter/etc. along with several gallons of clean water. All that stays upstairs so it doesn't accidentally get used (also don't have to move it if the bottom floor gets flooded). Our stove is gas and I have a grill, so we could cook with that for a while, but most goods are already cooked.
Also, if you expect bad weather that could amount to loss of electricity/water, fill up your bathtubs with water (hope you clean them regularly).
Also have a bunch of solar panel chargers to keep small electronics charged, as well as rechargeable batteries in all my remotes/flashlights so they can be rotated and charged. Also have adapters in cars to charge usb devices as well.

Could live off my stash for about a month.

They make a bladder for the tub, that holds 100 gallons, I have one in case we lose power etc. My family knows that the first one home in a excrement/turbine collision, their job is to start filling it and other containers we keep available. I also keep several cases of water on hand. We keep enough canned goods, dry goods, beans,rice etc.. to last several weeks. and I have two camp stoves that I have adapters for running off of our propane tank for cooking. My wife says she doesn't eat squirrel, but I'll bet they start looking pretty good after we run through our meat supply in the freezer.

We don't have to worry much about flooding, we have never had water come close to our house in 40 years, but the roads are another matter. so we may be stuck for a while if they get washed out.

It is called a water bob: http://www.amazon.com/waterBOB-Emergenc ... oCGKTw_wcB

suthdj wrote:Dont forget hot water heater holds water and gutters can be your friends.

Do not drink water collected from roofs via gutters even if filtered with a purifier. Many wood and all composition shingles leach toxic chemicals that might not be removed by filtration.

howdy wrote:

Jusme wrote:

locke_n_load wrote:

CleverNickname wrote:For a month's worth just buy canned goods and rotate through them, eating the oldest and buying new stuff to replace it. Get a camp stove to heat it if you have an electric stove in your kitchen. No need to buy anything special.

That's exactly what I do. I keep a bunch of canned goods/crackers/peanut butter/etc. along with several gallons of clean water. All that stays upstairs so it doesn't accidentally get used (also don't have to move it if the bottom floor gets flooded). Our stove is gas and I have a grill, so we could cook with that for a while, but most goods are already cooked.
Also, if you expect bad weather that could amount to loss of electricity/water, fill up your bathtubs with water (hope you clean them regularly).
Also have a bunch of solar panel chargers to keep small electronics charged, as well as rechargeable batteries in all my remotes/flashlights so they can be rotated and charged. Also have adapters in cars to charge usb devices as well.

Could live off my stash for about a month.

They make a bladder for the tub, that holds 100 gallons, I have one in case we lose power etc. My family knows that the first one home in a excrement/turbine collision, their job is to start filling it and other containers we keep available. I also keep several cases of water on hand. We keep enough canned goods, dry goods, beans,rice etc.. to last several weeks. and I have two camp stoves that I have adapters for running off of our propane tank for cooking. My wife says she doesn't eat squirrel, but I'll bet they start looking pretty good after we run through our meat supply in the freezer.

We don't have to worry much about flooding, we have never had water come close to our house in 40 years, but the roads are another matter. so we may be stuck for a while if they get washed out.

It is called a water bob: http://www.amazon.com/waterBOB-Emergenc ... oCGKTw_wcB

Yeah that's it, I had forgotten the name and got busy before I could research it. I haven't tested it, other than to take it out and look it over, but it may come in handy one day.

anygunanywhere wrote:

suthdj wrote:Dont forget hot water heater holds water and gutters can be your friends.

Do not drink water collected from roofs via gutters even if filtered with a purifier. Many wood and all composition shingles leach toxic chemicals that might not be removed by filtration.

Good to know but there has to be a way around that.

suthdj wrote:

anygunanywhere wrote:

suthdj wrote:Dont forget hot water heater holds water and gutters can be your friends.

Do not drink water collected from roofs via gutters even if filtered with a purifier. Many wood and all composition shingles leach toxic chemicals that might not be removed by filtration.

Good to know but there has to be a way around that.

I'm sure with the right type of filtration system it could be removed, but not one that most are likely to afford or have for emergency situations.

For something like that, as others have said, canned goods will do the trick. If you pay attention to the dates on them, many are good for years 2-3 is common, 3-5 can be found. Then just rotate them. Easy to slowly build up a supply as well. Every time you go to the store buy a couple extra cans. I have rice and beans which needs cooking of course. However I also keep a good bit of canned stuff; some ingredient level stuff like corn, green beans, etc, and some ready to eat like dinty moore beef stew. Then gallons of water, and the smaller water bottles. When the water gets close to its time I use it for cooking, making hot chocolate, etc.

If you keep an eye on sales, and coupons you can stock up slowly for fairly cheap. I don't keep mine for a zombie apocalypse or anything. However you never know when some natural disaster will leave you without food, water, and/or power. Keeping a month of supplies isn't difficult. Especially if it is stuff you can use in your normal meals.

Pariah3j wrote:

suthdj wrote:

anygunanywhere wrote:

suthdj wrote:Dont forget hot water heater holds water and gutters can be your friends.

Do not drink water collected from roofs via gutters even if filtered with a purifier. Many wood and all composition shingles leach toxic chemicals that might not be removed by filtration.

Good to know but there has to be a way around that.

I'm sure with the right type of filtration system it could be removed, but not one that most are likely to afford or have for emergency situations.

Yes i just did some googling and found it is ok for things like showering an toilets but is very questionable for consumption or even gardens.